Agreements, Treaties and Negotiated Settlements Project

Commonwealth State Housing Agreement 2003-2008: Bilateral Agreement (Queensland)
Date:	1 July 2003
Sub Category:	Funding Agreement \| Framework Agreement
Place:
State/Country:	Queensland, Australia
Subject Matter:	\|
URL:	http://www.housing.qld.gov.au/publications/commo_hsing_agree.htm
Summary Information:
The Commonwealth State Housing Agreement 2003-2008 (Queensland) (the Agreement) is a bilateral agreement between the Australian Federal Government and the State of Queensland. It was signed on the 1 July 2003. The Agreement was made pursuant to the Housing Assistance Act 1996 (Cth) and is designed to set out directions for the delivery of housing assistance in Queensland with a focus on key areas of strategic interest to both parties. The Queensland Department of Housing is the state agency responsible for the performance of the Agreement on behalf of Queensland.The Agreement covers arrangements for a period of five years from 1 July 2003. The Agreement is designed to complement the arrangements set out in the Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Agreements. Indigenous people will continue to receive housing and infrastructure assistance under the terms of this Agreement, including public and community housing, housing provided through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing and private housing assistance.
Detailed Information:
The central aim of the Agreement is to set out 'how Queensland aims to provide appropriate, affordable and secure housing assistance for those who most need it, for the duration of their need.' (para 1.1) The Agreement acknowledges that the Commonwealth and Queensland must work together in order to improve housing outcomes. This will involve better coordination across federal and state programs. Funds provided through this Commonwealth State Housing Agreement (CSHA) will be used to address housing needs, and to ensure that this produces additional positive social changes. It is intended that they will also be used to ensure that housing strategies are coordinated with other government policies. The parties agree to a range of guiding principles set out in Part One of the Agreement. These include: - Maintenance of a core social housing sector for those unable to access alternative housing options; -Development and delivery of affordable, appropriate, flexible and diverse housing assistance responses which are tailored to individual needs and local conditions; -Provision of assistance in a non-discriminatory manner; -Commitment to improving housing outcomes for Indigenous people in urban, rural and remote areas; -Promotion of innovative approaches including community, private sector and other partnerships; -Establishment of greater consistency between housing assistance provision and outcomes, and other social and economic objectives of government; -Adoption of a cooperative partnership approach between levels of government; and -Promotion of a long-term, national and integrated strategy for affordable housing through a comprehensive approach by all levels of government. Queensland agrees to continue to support research and analysis regarding the provision of housing assistance. In addition, it acknowledges the benefits of attracting investment from outside the social housing system as well as the importance of reducing workforce disincentives for social housing tenants. Specific measures designed to target these areas are set out in Schedule 1 of the Agreement. Queensland also acknowledges the Commonwealth priority and Council of Australian Governments' resolution regarding the reduction of Indigenous disadvantage through the improvement of government program perfomance. As such, Queensland commits to implementing initiatives set out in Building a Better Future: Indigenous Housing to 2010. Queensland also commits to improving its services to Indigenous people by improving access to all housing programs in addition to the programs targeted to Indigenous people. Queensland is to ensure that suitable arrangements are in place for recognition of consumer rights and responsibilities, including provision for review of decisions. The activities it undertakes in pursuit of housing outcomes are also required to be designed to achieve best value fror money for funding provided through the Agreement. Part Two of the Agreement sets out the funding arragements of the Agreement. The Federal Government is to commit over (AUD) $181.8 million, with a further $65.9 million to be provided in State-matching funds. Additional funding is indexed over the life of the Agreement. Queensland will also supply an additional $280.3 million of internally generated funds. Part Two also sets out the local context in which housing programs and services operate. It covers: -Population growth and changes; -Housing market trends; -Household formation; -Employment and devlopment; -Housing assistance implications; -Challenges for the public housing portfolio; and -Queensland's strategic response. Part Three identifies the 'Key Outputs' to be generated by the Agreement's strategies and those of the Department of Housing. These include: -Public housing; -Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing; -Community housing; -Private housing assistance; -Home purchase assistance; and -Community renewal. Part Four sets out the arrangements for variation of the Agreement which may only be effected in writing between the Commonwealth Minister for Family and Community Services and the State Minister for Housing. Part Five deals with matters of publicity and protocols surrounding the Agreement. Part Six deals with community consultation. Part Seven sets out Queensland's commitment to the National Housing Data Agreement and the Agreement on National Indigenous Housing Information. Finally, Part Eight sets out arrangements regarding performance measures, targets and reporting.